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How To Deliver A TED Talk: Secrets Of The World’s Most Inspiring Presentations

Michael Moore • 5 years ago

“How To Deliver A TED Talk” is a complete guide for creating presentations that inspire others through your story. Based on intensive study of the most popular TEDTalks, this step-by-step playbook shows you how to select your topic, craft your narrative, master your delivery, and refine your design.

Excellent Read for any Presenter I was recently looking for some shorter length books to read on my Kindle and while browsing options on Amazon, I stumbled across a series of TED e-books. It may be more accurate to describe them as white papers or articles instead of books, since they are all roughly 50-100 pages in length. Since I am a fan of TED and am interested in improving my own presentation skills, I thought I’d start by reading the book `How to Deliver a TED Talk’ by Jeremey Donovan.I was very impressed with the content and format of this book. Although short in length, it is full of helpful presentation advise. The following is a (partial) list of topics covered:1. Selecting a Topic: Identify a central idea and work backwards to establish an audience focused narrative that includes stories and facts. Connect with the audience by focusing on people’s inner needs for belonging, self-interest, self-actualization or hope.2. Crafting a `Catchphrase’: Turn the central idea of the presentation into a memorable phrase that is implanted in the audience’s mind. An ideal catchphrase should be short (3-10 words) and action oriented. A catchphrase should be repeated several times during the presentation.3. Opening a Talk: The first ten or twenty seconds of a speech is the peak of the audience’s engagement. Capitalize on this engagement by starting your speech with a compelling opening. Personal stories, shocking/startling statements and powerful questions are all effective ways to open a presentation. As a follow-up to the opening of your presentation, deliver a post-opening that informs the audience of the benefits they will gain from the presentation.4. Building a Speech Body and Transitions: The body of a presentation should ideally consist of three sections. Segmenting a speech into three sections helps the presenter stay focused and helps the audience remember the message. Several narrative styles may be utilized; three effective styles are the situation-complication-resolution framework, the chronological narrative and the idea-concepts description. Transitions between sections of the speech should reinforce the key message of the prior section while teasing the audience with benefits of the upcoming section.5. Concluding a Talk: The conclusion of a speech is the final opportunity to inspire the audience or call them to action with an easy next step. Use language that makes it clear the speech is ending. A few possible conclusions to a speech are a call back to a personal story told earlier in the speech, a shocking statistic or compelling question.6. Mastering Verbal Delivery: When delivering a speech adopt a conversationalist tone and use everyday language in short sentence structures. Avoid filler words by speaking in bursts followed by pauses. Make liberal use of the word `you’ to appeal to the audience.7. Adding Humor to a Talk: Humor should be embedded throughout the speech, strive for one joke every few minutes. Utilize self-deprecation, exaggerated reality and challenges to authority to add humor. Effective speakers `riff’ on humorous themes in clusters of three.8. Managing Your Physical Delivery: When delivering a speech stand comfortably with hands down at your sides. Gestures should be contained to the area above your waist and below your neck. Maintain eye contact with individuals in the audience for three to five seconds. If you are presenting to a large group, engage sections for one to three minutes.9. Creating Visuals That Inspire: Use as few slides as possible or no slides at all. If you are using slides, keep them simple with short text and images.This is just a brief overview of the content covered in this book. Every section is full of good examples that support the key ideas of effective presentations.I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in improving their public speaking skills or wants to learn more about the format of a TED talk.

If you’re planning to give a TED talk – or any talk – this is a great book to read I just read through Jeremy’s great little book. It was a very fast read – he’s engaging and insightful – and well worth it. I’ve given two TEDx talks and will be giving another this month – so it was great to read this gem. Jeremy must have watched a huge number of these talks because he understands them through and through. I won’t watch another one the same way as I hear his observations in my head.But it’s not just about TED talks – this is a great book to read anytime you have a presentation to make – if you have a few minutes to deeply engage and impress your audience, this book is a quick, informative, brilliant guide.

A Standing Ovation! This book is an excellent step-by-step guide to creating the perfect TED-style presentation. Whether you are speaking at a TED or TEDx event, need to give a keynote presentation or just want to learn how to be a better presenter overall, this book can help you.Jeremey has clearly spent countless hours learning from the masters and throughout the book he references some of the best and most-loved TED videos of all time. It was quite fascinating to hear how he analyzes the different speeches to help the reader understand what makes them so great. Furthermore, in all instances, he makes the clear connection back to how you can employ the same tactics and get the same fantastic results in your own speaking.The author has an personable and concise writing style which makes this book easily readable. He also interjects plenty of personal examples and anecdotes from his years of observing speakers, which helps keep the book moving at a reasonable pace.I would highly recommend this book to anyone participating in TED auditions, speaking at a TED or TEDx conference, giving a keynote, involved with Toastmasters or just interested in learning more about the rules of speechcraft and observing how some of the greats work.